


Columbine: What If Things Were Different

by Little_Lithium_Flower



Category: Columbine - Fandom, Dylan Klebold - Fandom, Eric Harris - Fandom
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-10
Updated: 2018-04-02
Packaged: 2019-03-29 06:52:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13921692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Little_Lithium_Flower/pseuds/Little_Lithium_Flower
Summary: What if Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold never did the shooting on April 20th, 1999? What if they had just graduated and went their separate ways after high school? This story details just that.





	1. Chapter 1

**Part I.**

 

**Theme Song: "A Lifetime" ~ Better than Ezra**

 

**May 22, 1999**

 

**~ Eric Harris ~**

 

Eric Harris dashed down the stairs of his parents' Colorado home with his graduation cap and gown in one hand and his car keys in the other. He bumped right into his mother, Kathy, who was fully dressed in a nice, black, dress suit. 

"Honey, you're leaving now?" Kathy asked him. "The ceremony isn't until two hours from now." 

"I know but i'm picking up Dylan and we're driving there together." Eric replied. 

"Ah ok." Kathy nodded before kissing Eric on the cheek. "Ok well we'll see you both when we get there." 

"Yup bye." Eric said before dashing out the door of the house. 

 

* * *

 

 

**Theme Song: "Everlong" ~ Foo Fighters**

 

**~ Dylan Klebold ~**

 

As Eric pulled up into the driveway of Dylan's house, he whistled a tune from one of his favorite Rammstein songs as he strolled up to the door of Sue and Tom Klebold's house. He knocked on the front door and within seconds, Sue answered. 

"Hey Eric." Sue said with a smile and while putting on her teal colored earrings.  
  
"Hey Mrs. Sue," Eric replied before hugging her. "Dylan ready yet?"   
  
At that moment, Sue's smile dropped. 

"Well he's up in his room and, he isn't doing so well." Sue replied. 

"Why what's wrong with him?" Eric asked. 

"Well I think it's just graduation jitters or something." Sue replied. "We tried to talk to him about it but -" 

Sue stopped as Eric held up his hand and shook his head. 

"Ok, I think I got it. Maybe I can fix him." Eric said with his usual Eric Harris contrived confidence. "Is he upstairs?" 

Sue nodded. 

Eric nodded as well before walking away and dashing up the stairs to the second floor. 

As Eric swung open the door to Dylan's room, he saw Dylan sitting on the edge of his bed, staring down at the floor with sadness. It was evident by Dylan's red, swollen eyes that he had been crying - excessively. 

"Dylan, come on, why aren't you dressed? We gotta get to the school." Eric said. 

Dylan shook his head in silence for a few seconds. 

"I'm not going Eric." Dylan said in a tearful voice. 

Eric raised an eyebrow at Dylan before walking over to him and kneeling in front of him. 

"Hey, VoDKa," Eric said as he lifted Dylan's head up a bit. "What the fuck's wrong with you? This is the last shitty thing we have to do regarding Columbine - graduation. I'd think you'd be racing to the fucking door to get this shit over with and be done with that Goddamn school."

"That's just IT Eric!" Dylan yelled tearfully as he jumped up off the bed and walked away from Eric. "Today means the end! The end of fucking everything! The end of Columbine, the end of being - fucking careless teens, the end of - the end of our friendship." 

Eric stared at Dylan as if he were nuts. 

"What?" Eric replied. "What do you mean? You're fucking breaking up with me VoDKa?" 

Dylan sucked his teeth and rolled his eyes in anger as Eric laughed. 

"Goddamn it I'm being serious Eric!" Dylan shouted. "You're going off to the fucking Marines, I'm going off to college in Arizona, we'll never see each other again so basically our friendship is over and how am I going to fucking cope?! I couldn't even cope at Columbine for four years, how am I going to cope at a college for four years?" 

Eric's smile dropped as he finally saw that Dylan was being serious. Eric walked over to him and took hold of his hand and led him over to the edge of the bed to sit down. 

"Dylan, you'll cope fucking well." Eric said. "And as far as our friendship, it's not over. It will never be over. We will always be friends, forever. I mean I'm just going to the Marines, but I'm coming back. I'll come back on holidays or something and then I'll call and I'll write." 

"Yeah right." Dylan said as he wiped streaming tears away. "You'll go off into the Marines and forget all about me." 

Eric laughed. 

"Yeah fucking right," Eric said with a smile. "You're the VoDKa to my REB, so how the hell can I forget about that? You're my FRIEND Dylan, more than that, you're the brother I never had." 

"What?" Dylan asked while staring at Eric confused. "What about Kevin?" 

"Like I said, you're the brother I never had." Eric repeated as Dylan laughed, which was then shared by Eric. "Dylan, you're smart and you're stronger than what you think. You'll do great at the University of Arizona and you know why? Because the University of Arizona is NOTHING like Columbine. In fact, fucking college itself is nothing like Columbine or any other school. College is different, it's better." 

"How do you know that though Eric?" Dylan asked tearfully. "I mean what if it's just the same bullshit we faced at Columbine? What if I end up hating college and you end up hating the Marines and we both end up wishing we had went through with our plans for NBK in April?" 

"We won't Dylan." Eric said seriously. "We have to believe it's different. Look, something stopped us from doing NBK back in April. I don't know what it was, but there had to be some reason why you and I both backed out of it. Maybe it was because the universe knows that there's something greater that lies ahead for us and we would miss it if we went ahead and took our revenge back in April. So now we have to be fucking brave and go out and see what the universe has in store for us. Look at it as a mission, on another level in the game Doom."

Dylan sighed and nodded as he wiped more streaming tears away. 

"I'm going to miss you Eric." Dylan said tearfully. 

"Yeah, I'll miss you too," Eric said, "but hey, it's not goodbye, it's just - see you later. Alright?" 

Eric pulls Dylan close to him and hugs him. 

"You'll be alright kid." Eric said jokingly as Dylan laughed. 

* * *

 

 

 

**Theme Song: "Graduation (Friends Forever) ~ Vitamin C**

 

At an outdoor arena in Englewood, California, underneath the bright, hot sun, there sat numerous, Columbine high school students in their dark blue cap and gowns, behind them sat hundreds of family and friends of the soon to be graduates. On a stage behind a podium stood Columbine's principal, Frank DeAngelis, next to other Columbine staff members as Principal DeAngelis called the Columbine seniors on the stage, one by one to get their diplomas. 

"Rachel Scott." Principal DeAngelis called out as the audience cheered loudly as Rachel walked up on the stage and took her diploma from Principal DeAngelis and shook hands with him and the other staff members on the stage. 

Eric rolled his eyes as Rachel smiled and waved at the audience with excitement before walking off the stage. As Dylan whispered something to Eric about Rachel, Eric laughed. 

"Eric David Harris." Principal DeAngelis called out. 

As Eric stood up and walked towards the stage, he got to the third step up onto the auditorium and stopped, almost frozen at what he was hearing. As he looked out at the audience, all he heard was applause, loud, thunderous applause from everyone - everyone in the audience. Eric stared out at the audience with shock and in that moment, his eyes became slightly teary-eyed. He couldn't believe it. Were they actually clapping and applauding for him? He looked over at Dylan, who was sitting next to Brooks - and Dylan too looked - stunned at the audience's applause for Eric. 

"Um, Eric, do you want the diploma or should we mail it to you?" Principal DeAngelis joked as the audience laughed. 

Eric shot his eyes over at Principal DeAngelis and shook his head as if shaking himself mentally out of his shock. He then walked up onto the stage and walked over to Principal DeAngelis and took the diploma and shook his hand. 

As Eric walked away, towards the other end of the stage, he was still stunned as the applause from the audience continued once again. 

"Honey, look up!" Kathy called as she ran up to the stage with a camera in her hand. 

As Eric looked over at Kathy, Kathy clicked her camera, causing a bright flash to go off, almost blinding Eric. 

"Ugh mom, shit thanks for blinding me, jeez." Eric said as he frowned and pinched his eyes with his hands. 

Kathy laughed. 

"Sorry hun." Kathy said before letting out a giggle and rushing back to where Wayne, Kevin and a few other Harris family members were. 

"Dylan Bennett Klebold." Principal DeAngelis called out. 

As Dylan walked over to the stage, he too stopped halfway towards the stage and stared at the audience, stunned as they applauded, whistled and cheered for him. The whole incident made Dylan laugh with surprise and shake his head slightly before walking up onto the stage. As Dylan took his diploma and shook hands with Principal DeAngelis, Dylan looked over at the audience and smiled and waved before walking towards the other end of the stage. 

"Yay! That's my son! Go Dylan!" Sue yelled with excitement. 

As Sue's yells and Byron and Tom's cheering and whistling grew loud, Dylan, who was a bit embarrassed by their antics, mouthed at them to quit it as he walked back to his seat. 

  
**~ Not Too Much Later ~**

"Ladies and gentleman, I present to you the graduating class of 1999. Congratulations Columbine graduates!" Principal DeAngelis said, before all the Columbine graduates stood, cheered and tossed their graduation caps in the air before cheering more and hugging each other excitedly. 

* * *

 

**Theme Song: "Here's To The Night" ~ Eve 6**

 

** ~ Later That Night ~  **

****

Dylan was in his bedroom, packing his clothes and belongings into a long, black roller suitcase. He could've waited until the fall to go to Arizona and settle in, but he felt in order to make a clean break, it would've been best to leave now, and spend the summer getting acquainted with Arizona. As Dylan walked over to his nightstand table, he picked up a framed photo he had of himself and Eric behind Blackjack Pizza. As Dylan stared at the photo with tearful eyes, a knock came at his closed door. 

"It's open." Dylan said as he wiped streaming tears away, walked over to his suitcase and placed the photo inside. 

In walked Sue with a cup of warm chocolate milkshake in hand. 

"Here, I thought you could use this." Sue said as she walked over to him and handed him the milkshake. 

Dylan looked at the milkshake and then looked at Sue as if she were nuts. 

"Ugh mom I hate milkshakes remember?" Dylan said. 

"I know," Sue said, "but you used to love them when you were little and so, I just thought I'd replay one of my favorite memories of you as a child, especially since you're moving away tomorrow." 

As Sue looked away and broke into light sobs, Dylan stared at her with sympathy before turning and pulling her into a hug. 

"Oh mom, I'm not going away forever." Dylan said. "I'll be home on holidays and then I'll write and call." 

"You had better or I'll drive up there every weekend and bother the heck out of you." Sue said jokingly. 

"No! I'll call I promise just - don't drive up there mom, seriously." Dylan said with a laugh that was shared with Sue. 

"It's just unbelievable." Sue said as she brushed Dylan's red hair back from his face. "It seems like just yesterday I was convincing you to eat your bowl of carrots and peas baby food while you sat in your high chair and now you're - you're -"

"An adult." Dylan interrupted. 

"A young man, a young, adult man." Sue said tearfully. "But you'll always be my little boy. You remember that." 

Dylan nodded before Sue pulled him into another hug. 

"I love you honey." Sue said. 

"I love you too mom." Dylan replied. 

As Sue pulled away, she kissed Dylan on the forehead. 

"Ok, get finished packing so you can meet up with Eric before too late." 

"Ok." Dylan said before Sue turned and left out with the milkshake. 

"Hey mom?" Dylan turned and called out. 

"Yeah." Sue replied. 

"Leave the milkshake." Dylan replied. 

As Sue smiled with touched, tearful eyes, she nodded and left the milkshake on the table by the door and blew him a kiss before walking out. 

* * *

 

 

**Theme Song: "Gone Gone Gone" ~ Phillip Phillips**

 

**~ Cranmer Park - Denver, Colorado ~**

 

As Dylan walked up onto the grassy area of Cranmer Park, he saw Eric, several feet away, lying on his back, on a blanket, on the grass, while staring up at the numerous, huge stars up in the sky. Dylan laughed as he walked over to Eric. 

"I knew I'd find you here." Dylan said with a laugh as he dropped down on the blanket and lied back next to Eric. 

"I never thank you Dylan." Eric said with seriousness. 

"Thanked me?" Dylan replied. "For what?" 

Eric remained silent for a few seconds. 

"I know there were a lot of times that I got on your fucking nerves and you got tired as shit of me copying everything you did, but you never gave up on being my friend and I'll never forget that. You're the best friend I've ever had in my entire life. I can't thank you enough for that." 

Dylan turned and looked at him in silence for several seconds, trying to examine what he just said, take in what he just said, and after a few seconds, Dylan sat up and frowned with tearful eyes. As Eric sat up and looked at him, Eric frowned as he saw tears streaming from Dylan's eyes. 

"Are you fucking crying?" Eric asked. 

"Nope, it's these damn allergies, shit." Dylan said as he wipes his streaming tears away. 

"You're such a Goddamn liar." Eric said with laughter that he shared with Dylan. 

Eric then sighed and shook his head. 

"My flight to San Diego is tomorrow evening at seven." Eric said. 

"Damn, why that late?" Dylan asked. 

Eric shrugged. 

"I'm supposed to be at the MCRD by nine tomorrow night. So dad's driving me to the airport." Eric replied. 

Dylan nodded as Eric sighed.  

"For the first time ever, I'm going to be without you." Eric said.

"Yeah but like you said, it's not forever." Dylan said. 

Eric looked away and broke into light tears as Dylan stared at him. 

"Look who's crying now?" Dylan joked with a smile. 

As Eric didn't answer him but instead lowered his head and broke into more sobs, Dylan scooted over to him and hugged him. 

"Hey, it's not forever remember?" Dylan said as he let Eric out of the hug but wrapped his arm around Eric's shoulder. 

Eric nodded as he wiped streaming tears away. 

"I know, I'm just going to miss you." Eric said tearfully. 

"I know, but we'll write each other, call when we can and then we'll see each other - after you get your ass kicked during boot camp." Dylan said before sharing a laugh with Eric. 

Eric sighed as he looked at his wrist watch.

"Goddamn it, I gotta split, it's going on nine." Eric said before getting to his feet. 

As Dylan got to his feet as well, he grabbed the blanket, folded it and handed it to Eric. As Eric took the blanket from Dylan, both of them shared eye contact. 

"So this is it huh?" Dylan said. 

Eric nodded as he looked away briefly. 

"Yeah." Eric replied. 

At that moment, they both walked over to each other and embraced in a close hug for a while. 

"We're friends and brothers forever, remember that ok?" Dylan said tearfully while still locked in the hug. 

Eric nodded with tearful eyes. 

"I'll never forget, REB and VoDKa forever." Eric said tearfully. 

As Eric and Dylan unlocked from the hug, they both wiped streaming tears away. 

"Later Dylan." Eric said tearfully. 

"Later Eric." Dylan replied tearfully. 

After sharing a last, brief eye contact and a goodbye wave with each other, they both turned in unison and walked away in different directions. 

  
As Eric got into his car and started it, his eyes clouded with tears, tears of emotion.   
  
  
As Dylan got into his car and started it, emotions got the best of Dylan as well, as he fought back light sobs as he drove away from the park. 

 

Both of them knew that, that was the end, the end of a chapter, the end of an era for now and the beginning of all things new, new adventures, new experiences and new journeys.....

 

 

** ~ End Of Chapter I ~  **

 

** Up Next: Chapter II~  **

 

 


	2. Eric Harris ~ "Bold, Wiser, tough, Stronger"

**A/N: Thanks so much for the kudos on this story. Readers may want to re-read the previous chapter though, because I changed a few details that were towards the end of the previous chapter, in regards to Eric going off to Marine boot camp training. Anyways, on with the new chapter!**

 

* * *

 

**~ Eric Harris ~**

  
**~ 10:00 a.m. ~**

  
Eric was standing by the bed, packing his clothes into a duffel bag when Wayne, his father walked in. 

"Hey Eric, how's the packing going?" Wayne asked. 

Eric glanced back at Wayne and then nodded. 

"It's going, just anxious to get to the airport." Eric said as he zipped up his duffel bag and walked over to the chair in his room. 

Wayne laughed as he walked in the room. 

"Oh that's my son," Wayne said as he sat down on the end of Eric's bed. "Excited to become one of the few and the proud." 

Eric raised an eyebrow at Wayne and then scoffed with a brief smile and a brief frown. 

"Uh, yeah - something like that." Eric said with a sigh as he pulled on his black, trench coat and grabbed his car keys off his nightstand table. "Uh look I'm gonna take a drive out before we leave this evening so I'll be back later ok?" 

Before Wayne could respond, Eric had walked out, leaving Wayne baffled. Wasn't Eric excited about this new chapter in his life? Being on the road to becoming a marine? Wayne thought he was. 

* * *

 

 

**~ Theme Song: "Three Libras" ~ A Perfect Circle (Acoustic version)**

  
It didn't take Eric long to arrive in front of his old, stomping grounds again - Columbine High. As he pulled his car into the driveway of the school, he felt all of the old emotions rushing back through him, emotions of anger, depression, rage, sadness, isolation, hatred. As he pulled into a parking space in the lot, he looked around at the empty, desolate lot. Everyone was gone of course, it was now summer, the school year was over, so of course no one would be there, no one except Eric. As he stared at the columbine building, deep, deep inside he wished to high fuck that he and Dylan had carried out NBK. Eric was now feeling what Dylan had been feeling just the day before - feelings of regret, regret and fear. Deep down, Eric didn't want to go into the marines, he didn't want a new chapter of life. He wanted to be done with life, specifically life on this planet. He wanted him and Dylan to travel elsewhere. He hated life, he hated life and everyone in it and just graduating from Columbine wasn't going to change that. Something inside Eric David Harris was dead, and it died the night of the January incident. The night of the January incident murdered everything that was happy and everything that felt right inside Eric. The night of the January incident was what fucked up Eric's mind and emotions and there wasn't any pills, any therapy or any counseling that would ever fix what Sheriff Walsh and the January incident fucked up inside him, Eric knew that. 

As all these thoughts floated around inside Eric's mind, tears clouded Eric's eyes and it wasn't long before Eric did something that he hadn't truly done in some months - he broke down into sobs, and the more he sobbed, the more he felt he couldn't stop from crying. It was as if he broke the lid and unleashed a river of emotions that had been bottled up for so long. Soon he found himself crying so hard that his head was beginning to hurt and what was worse was that while he was crying, flashbacks of what Sheriff Walsh did to him during the night of the January incident flashed through his mind and all the hurt and pain he endured from that night made him cry even more. He thought he had been over it, but this was showing him that apparently he wasn't over it. Not only was he not over it, Eric was afraid of what the future held for him, he wasn't sure if he'd have the courage to face it, because deep down, beyond the contrived, rough and tough REB persona, was Eric David Harris, the scared, fragile, low self esteem Eric David Harris that no one except Dylan ever saw. So yeah, Eric was scared, what if he failed during Marine training? What if he never became a Marine? What would he do with his life? Eric was scared of going on to the next chapter of his life, and the horrible thing is that he never really stopped to realize that he was afraid - until now. 

 

**~ Theme Song: "You Gotta Be" ~ Des'ree**

 

Eric felt like he did that night of the January incident - broken and hurt - emotionally, mentally and physically. However after several seconds of crying, he wiped his streaming tears away and sighed as he leaned his head up against his steering wheel. At that moment, his cell phone alarm went off. As he picked up his cell phone, he saw a text message from Dylan, it read: 

_"Hey Eric, just wanted you to know dad and I are halfway to Arizona and I gotta say, for some strange reason - I'm excited. I never would've been if it weren't for your pep talk yesterday morning. Thanks REB. Looking forward to talking to you soon. - VoDKa"_

 

After Eric read the text message, he closed his eyes and sighed with a frown. Here he was, back in front of Columbine High once again, crying over the past, while Dylan was edging towards the next chapter in his life - with excitement. That gave Eric the incentive he needed to hold it together, to be brave, to be strong, not only for himself but for Dylan. If Dylan could get through all that was going on in the crazy circle called life, so could Eric. Eric had to, because he knew Dylan, he knew Dylan more than anyone else knew him. Eric knew Dylan was counting on him to make it through to the next chapter, just as he was trying to do. So Eric had to put his fear aside and be strong but more so, be brave, and he would. As Eric stared at Dylan's text message once more, he smirked, his usual 'Eric Harris smirk'. Yeah, Eric was looking forward to talking with Dylan soon as well, in fact, he couldn't wait. 

 


	3. Dylan Klebold - "Orange Crush"

**~ Dylan Klebold ~**

 

**~ 4 p.m. ~**

 

**Theme Song: "Orange Crush" ~ REM**

 

As Tom drove on I-10 W for what seemed like hours, Dylan sat in the front, passenger seat, knocked out asleep. Tom glanced over at him and smirked. He couldn't believe his son, his little boy was now - essentially a grown man. As Tom glanced over at him once more, at how peaceful he looked asleep, he couldn't help but still think that Dylan was always his little boy, no matter if he were seventeen, eighteen or thirty-five. Dylan would always be "his little kiddo". As Tom saw the sign for exit 258 to Tucson, he swerved easily into the right lane and took the exit, and after a few minutes, he and Dylan were officially in Tucson. 

* * *

 

  
  
**Theme Song: "Summertime" ~ Fresh Prince & Jazzy Jeff**

 

As Tom drove through the streets of Tucson, he woke up Dylan so he could see the sights around them. As Tom shook him, Dylan moaned a bit and frowned as he sat up in his seat. 

"What are we there yet?" Dylan asked in a half asleep voice. 

"Yup," Tom said, "welcome to Tucson my boy." 

As Tom laughed, Dylan sat up and pulled down his window to get a clear view at the sights around him and damn, he couldn't believe it. It was like the paradise that he always talked about going to but could never find in Colorado. The sky was a beautiful shade of bright blue, the bluest blue he had ever seen. The air smelt fresher, newer. Beautiful tall, green trees lined up the blocks of streets they passed. There was a summer warmth in the air but one where it wasn't too hot and it wasn't too cold either. It was - just right and as Dylan stared at the people walking to and from everywhere, he found that they even looked different. The girls were prettier with their blond and black hair, slender physiques and great shapely legs.   
  
As he and his father passed by numerous stores, buildings and social outlets, he could feel something different inside him, he felt even more excited than he was when he texted Eric. He felt an impatient anticipation. He felt a different feeling than he had ever felt in Colorado. He couldn't explain what it was but there was something about what he was seeing in Arizona that was awakening a door of hope and excitement for him, and as they pulled into the parking lot of University of Arizona, Dylan's excitement grew more - but then it became mixed in with fear, fear because of all the young men and women of all different races walking all over the University Of Arizona grounds. However as Tom pulled into the university parking lot, they passed one blond haired, slender looking girl wearing daisy dukes and a white tank top. She resembled a younger Britney Spears - and when she looked Dylan's way and smiled at him, Dylan smiled nervously, and then she waved, and his heart skipped a beat. Was this really happening? Damn, he didn't even have that happen to him at Columbine. 

As Tom turned off the car engine, he turned and stared at Dylan with a sigh and a smile. 

"Alright, well, ready to go?" Tom asked. 

"Uh, yeah," Dylan said as he smiled his signature, shyish 'Dylan Klebold' smile. 

* * *

 

 

**Theme Song: "Graduate" ~ Third Eye Blind**

 

As Dylan walked through the dorm halls of University Of Arizona, Dylan, with his three, huge and long, duffel bags, they both passed by several young, college guys and girls of all races. All of them looked friendly, none of them looked nothing like the kids at Columbine. That excited Dylan a bit in that moment. 

"So what room are we looking for again dad?" Dylan asked. 

"Um 1718 is the room." Tom said as he read a small index card in his hand. 

At that moment, Dylan stopped. That room number was the number of he and Eric's ages at that very moment. Could it have been some type of coincidence? Or maybe it was some sort of sign to let Dylan know that he was going to be ok here?

As Tom stopped, he looked back at Dylan who was lost in his own thoughts while smiling. 

"Hey Dylan, you coming?" Tom asked. 

Dylan smirked with a shake of his head. 

"Yeah." Dylan said as he preceded to walk on. 

 

**Theme Song: "Dammit" ~ Blink 182**

  
  
When Tom and Dylan got to room 1718, loud, Blink 182 music could be heard blasting from inside the room. Shit, Dylan thought, this made him more than nervous. What if the person on the other side of the door was some jock or some bullying preppy - just like at Columbine. Tom laughed with a shake of his head as he moved towards the door. 

"Oh boy, I can tell this is gonna be fun already." Tom joked as he opened the door to the room and saw this tall, thin slender male with long, blond hair dancing around while unpacking clothes and the rest of his belongings from a box. The male's name was Cody. 

As Cody spun around, he saw Dylan and Tom standing there and it spooked him. 

"Whoa dude!" Cody said in a California, surfer dude accent. "Like you totally sneaked up on me bro!" 

As Cody laughed, Dylan couldn't help but to look away and laugh. Of all the people he had to share a dorm with.....Goddamn. 

"Oh we're sorry." Tom replied as he placed one of Dylan's duffel bags on the floor, he extended his hand to Cody. "Hi I'm Tom Klebold, and this is my son Dylan, he's going to be your new roommate." 

At that moment, Cody gasped and smiled. 

"Dude no way! I had a brother named Dylan!" Cody exclaimed. 

Dylan nodded with a contrived look of surprise. 

"Oh really?" Dylan replied. 

"Yeah but he died." Cody replied. "Like he was surfing and a fifty foot wave drowned him, but at least I have his surfboard. See it's hanging right up there." 

As Dylan looked up to his right on the wall, he saw a pretty cool designed, black surfboard hanging on the wall. 

"Wow, that's pretty neat." Dylan replied with a nod. 

As Cody walked over to Dylan and wrapped his arm around his shoulder, Dylan frowned at Tom briefly with a "what the hell?" stare, a stare that made Tom laugh. 

"Well don't worry Mr. K., I think Dylan and I are going to be great buds." Cody said. "I can totally pick up the awesome vibes from this guy already. Yo D-man, welcome to the room!" 

As Cody laughed loudly and began dancing around the room to the music, Dylan stared at him with amusement. 

"See?" Tom whispered to Dylan. "You already met a friend." 

"Yeah a friend who came straight from the Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure film set." Dylan said with Tom laughing at Dylan's joke.

"Hey D-man," Cody said, "you can totally have the bed over there, like would that be gnarly or do you wanna switch?" 

Dylan looked down and laughed lightly with a slight shake of his head. 

"Uh no, I'm fine with the bed over here." Dylan replied. 

"Awesome dude alright!" Cody said while laughing and flashing the Hawaiian shaka sign at Dylan. 

"Awesome dude alright." Dylan mimicked in a whisper to Tom, who laughed. 

As Cody's phone rang, Tom and Dylan put Dylan's bags on the bed to the left of the room. As Dylan began to unzip one of his bags, Cody turned off his stereo and strolled over to him and Tom. 

"Yo D-man, come on, i'm meeting up some new college buddies in a few for java and dinner, come with dude." Cody said. 

Dylan looked at his dad with an eyebrow raised. 

"Uh -" Dylan said. 

"It's fine," Tom said. "This is your first day here, you should mingle, meet new friends and stuff." 

"Um Cody, sure I'd love to." Dylan said, "just give me a few minutes to say goodbye to my dad ok." 

"Oh gnarley, okie dokie sure dude." Cody said. "I have to go get my car and bring it around and that'll take a while because my car's been giving me mad troubles dude. So I'll meet you outside in thirty?" 

"Uh yeah, sounds great." Dylan said with a nod. 

"Alright dude! Awesome!" Cody said with a laugh before strolling out of the room. 

 

**Theme Song: "Only You" ~ Yazoo**

 

Tom sighed and nodded as he patted Dylan on the shoulder. 

"Well I guess this is it." Tom said. 

"Yeah, for now anyway." Dylan replied. 

Before Dylan could say anything else, Tom pulled him into a tight hug, which took Dylan aback a bit. 

"It's not forever dad. I'll be home for Thanksgiving." Dylan said with a light laugh. 

As Tom let go of Dylan, he laughed and shrugged. 

"I know," Tom said. "It's just - it's the thing of letting go of my little boy." 

"Yeah but now I'm an adult now." Dylan said. "I'll be fine dad, I promise." 

Tom nodded again before hugging Dylan again. 

"I love you son." Tom said in a slightly cracking voice. 

"I love you too dad, always." Dylan said as he hugged Tom back. 

As Tom let go of Dylan, Tom wiped away streaming tears. 

"Well let me go so you can have calabunga fun with Cody and friends." Tom said, before sharing a laugh with Dylan. 

As Tom walked to the door of the room, before walking out, he looked back and waved at Dylan and Dylan waved back and gave his signature 'Dylan Klebold' smile. Then, within seconds, Tom walked out the door and out of the beginning of Dylan's new chapter of his life. 

As Dylan stood in the room, alone, alone with his thoughts, he took a moment to take everything in, to take in the fact that for the first time ever in his life, he was on his own, away from essentially everyone he ever knew. This was a beginning for Dylan, he wasn't completely sure if he was right or not, but it sure felt like a beginning for Dylan, a new beginning. He just hoped his new beginning would be everything he was hoping and that it was seeming like it would be it would be during the drive he and his dad made through the streets of Tuscon, he was hoping - for his sake, he was hoping. '

 

 

**~ To Be Continued ~**

 

 


End file.
